Alligator Adventure in Barefoot Landing gets you up close to reptiles big and small

No way. Alligator Adventure is totally dedicated to allowing you to have intimate-but-not-too-close encounters with the ancient reptiles that were around eons ago when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.

As you know, the dinosaurs died. But gators are still alive and well, especially at Alligator Adventure.

It is reptilian central for the Grand Strand.

Also called “The Reptile Capital of the World,” Alligator Adventure allows you to get wild without anyone giving you a second glance.

It is located on more than 15 acres of wetland habitat in North Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing, the city’s ultra popular place to shop, dine and be entertained all in one fell swoop.

Here, alligators share living space with slithering, hopping, prowling reptiles and other creatures of which we all are familiar. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles and tigers are among nature’s children residing at this zany and glorious zoo.

Utan is the most famous of the residents at Alligator Adventure. Also known as the King of Crocs, Utan is a native of Thailand. He is a hybrid crocodile with the DNA of a Saltwater crocodile and a Siamese crocodile. Utan is America’s largest crocodile in captivity, measuring 18-feet and weighing about 2,000 pounds. Utan’s teeth look like giant spears, while the croc’s skin is rugged, ridged and reveals Utan’s kinship to his prehistoric ancestors.

Utan dwells in a specially made habitat that is 5,000-square feet, generous room for his astounding size. The croc is one of more than 800 crocodilians featured at Alligator Adventure. The alligators range in sizes from eight-inch hatchlings to 15-foot bulls and cows weighing 500 to 1,000 pounds.

If you visit Alligator Adventure, you will see more than 300 adults in the primary exhibit chilling out while employees share intriguing information about these reptiles that outlived the dinosaurs. You also get a chance to see personnel feed the alligators by hand.

In addition to the outdoor alligator exhibits, other exhibits include the Crocodile Cove and the Lizard, Frog and Turtle House.

The biggest star of the Crocodile Cove is Tommy, a false gharial crocodile from Southeast Asia that is more than 15 feet long and weighs more than 1,000 pounds. Also featured in the same exhibit is Bob, a female American alligator born without a tail at Alligator Adventure. Bob has private living quarters.

The slithering reptiles also have special havens to call home.

The Serpentarium is the state-of-the-art facility that is air-conditioned for the exotic snakes.

A giant green anaconda, measuring at least 25 feet in length and weighing 440 pounds, lives here. Also calling the Serpentarium home is a king cobra, a mangrove snake and the black mamba – the infamous African snake featured in the movie “Kill Bill Vol. 3.” Shaded in skin that is a gray charcoal color, it is one of the continent’s longest venomous snakes, measuring 8.2 to 10 feet in length, according to Wikipedia.

From creatures that slither to those that walk on four legs like Nadia and Aidan, sister and brother Siberian tigers, Alligator Adventure is an outstanding attraction the entire family will enjoy during your stat at Bay View on the Boardwalk.

If you go:
What: Alligator Adventure
Where: 4604 U.S. 17 S. (at Barefoot Landing), North Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29582
When: Hours are from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Show times for feedings and other activities vary.
Cost: Adults, $18.99; children (ages 4-12), $12.99 and seniors, $16.99.
Information: 843-361-0789 or visit http://alligatoradventure.com/
Directions from Bay View on the Boardwalk: Take U.S. 17 N. toward North Myrtle Beach. Keep straight until you see Alligator Adventure on the left at Barefoot Landing.